Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Transfers are Coming (or Going)

Jabrill Peppers...isn't transferring.

Now that winter semester is finished, there should be some news coming soon about transfers to and from Michigan. I have heard rumors about one incoming player (not Jake Rudock, Wayne Lyons, or Blake O'Neill) and four outgoing players, although two of the players leaving the team are for medical reasons.

Medical scholarships are frustrating but an understandable part of the game. However, one of the rumored transfers is going to be a little bit of a surprising disappointment.

OP here. Obviously any transfers are disappointing and surprising, but I think if any of the aforementioned players transfered, I'd get a little wide-eyed reading it, and may say a few more expletives than I would if other players transfered.

Dymonte Thomas? Derek Green? Freddy Canteen? The OP would probably be called out for this post on Mgoblog because this is only going to lead to names being tossed around. I guess that's what Thunder wants, so I'll be your huckleberry.

I'll be sad to see any highly talented players leave, simply because I think Harbaugh will know how to properly motivate and deploy talent, unlike the last regime. Guys like Josh Furman are disappointing to see go, because they have immense talent and were clearly misused at Michigan. There are a lot of guys who have come through the program the past four years and still have stores of untapped potential (Dymonte, Frank Clark, Funchess, Furman, Pipkins, Green, Taco, Wormley, to name a few). Hell, Clark and Funchess's talent was just confirmed in the ultimate fashion by being selected in the second round of the NFL draft based almost solely on potential--those guys did comparatively little on the field at U-M under Hoke. But somebody in the NFL decided that those guys were superior athletes who should be able to start and thrive on an NFL team. Frankly, I wouldn't have blamed any of these guys for transferring under Hoke. But I hope they give the Harbaugh staff a chance to develop them properly.

I really hope that Taco Charlton is not transferring. I think if he had the right coaching, he's capable of double digit sack seasons. When he's on his game, he reminds me of Jason Pierre-Paul, when JPP is on his game.

- one of the outbound is a QB, and is "the least surprising" to potentially transfer according to one Fort poster- the other outbound is NOT someone from the d-line- the other outbound IS NOT Peppers(!!!!!!!)- Harris is not getting a medical...expected to have until July 1st to determine that

Pipkins could certainly catch on somewhere else. Guys who are 6'3", 317 lbs. with some athleticism do not grow on trees. Michael Cox, Richard Ash, Mike Jones, etc. have all caught on elsewhere. I don't think Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon, and schools like that would be interested in a guy who hasn't done much, but there are lots of schools who would gladly take Pipkins.

Pipkins' certainly has the potential to catch on elsewhere with his size, but for a linemen to transfer with one year of eligibility left is a massive gamble. Unless there's something I don't know about him, he would be much better suited to stay here and work his way into the rotation at DT.

I said Pipkins because I was under the impression that there was an offensive and defensive player who would medical. If I am wrong about there being a defensive medical, Pipkins would not be transfer candidate since he should get significant playing time rotating on dl.

Hopefully "suprising" just means slightly unexpected and not suprising because the player was supposed to be a major contributor.

The current WR group is similar to the QBs. They have guys who may be solid performers but they are unproven and mostly question marks. I think it would be smart to bring in a solid contributor, if they are able, to help sure up the position until the other guys can step up.

It couldn't be Malzone? I mean the depth chart is pretty loaded in front of him with Morris, Rudock, and maybe Gentry this year and O'Korn and Peters next year. Speight is also competing and has some experience on him. That's a tough road to a starting job.